Project Management

MANAGEMENT: Management is working with or through other people to accomplish objectives of both the organization and its members. PROJECT MANAGEMENT: Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements. Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, and managing resources to bring about the successful completion of specific project goals and objectives. A project is a finite endeavor (having specific start and completion dates) undertaken to create a unique product or service which brings about beneficial change or added value.

Project Management Approaches: There are several approaches that can be taken to managing project activities including agile, interactive, incremental, and phased approaches. •

The traditional approach

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Critical Chain Project Management

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Extreme Project Management

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Event chain methodology

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PRINCE2

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Process-based management

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Rational Unified Process

Project Development Stages: Traditionally, project development includes a number of elements: four to five stages, and a control system. Regardless of the methodology used, the project development process will have the same major stages: • • • • •

initiation planning or development production or execution monitoring and controlling Closing.

Initiation: The initiation stage determines the nature and scope of the development. The key project controls needed here are an understanding of the business environment and making sure that all necessary controls are incorporated into the project. Any deficiencies should be reported and fixed. The initiation stage should include a cohesive plan that encompasses the following areas: • •

Study analyzing the business needs in measurable goals. Review of the current operations.

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Conceptual design of the operation of the final product. Equipment and contracting requirements including an assessment of 'long-lead' items. Financial analysis of the costs and benefits including a budget. Stakeholder analysis, including users, and support personnel for the project. Including costs, tasks, deliverables, and schedule.

Planning and design After the initiation stage, the system is designed. A small prototype of the final product is built and tested by a combination of testers and end users and ensure that the final product will meet the required specifications. The results of the design stage should include a product design that: • • • •

Satisfies the project sponsor, end user, and business requirements. (realistic) Functions as it was intended. (achievable) Can be produced within quality standards. (cost-effective) Can be produced within time and budget constraints.

Executing Executing consists of the processes used to complete the work defined in the project management plan to accomplish the project's requirements. Execution process involves coordinating people and resources, as well as integrating and performing the activities of the project in accordance with the project management plan. The deliverables are produced as outputs from the processes performed as defined in the project management plan. Monitoring and Controlling Monitoring and Controlling consists of those processes performed to observe project execution so that potential problems can be identified and corrected to control the execution of the project. The key benefit is that project performance is observed and measured regularly to identify variances from the project management plan. Monitoring and Controlling includes: • • • •

Measuring the ongoing project activities (where we are); Monitoring the project variables (cost, effort, ...) against the project management plan and the project performance baseline (where we should be); Identify corrective actions to properly address issues and risks (How can we get on track again); Influencing the factors that could circumvent integrated change control so only approved changes are implemented

In multi-phase projects, the Monitoring and Controlling process also provides feedback between project phases, in order to implement corrective or preventive actions to bring the project into compliance with the project management plan. Maintenance: Project Maintenance is an ongoing process, and it includes: • • •

Continuing support of end users Correction of errors Updates of the software over time

Over the course of any construction project, the work scope changes. Changes can be the result of necessary design modifications, material availability, contractorrequested changes, value engineering and impacts from third parties, to name a few. Beyond executing the change in the field, the change normally needs to be documented to show what was actually constructed. This is referred to as Change Management. When changes are introduced to the project the viability of the project has to be assessed again. It is important not to lose sight of the initial goals and targets of the projects. When the changes accumulate, the forecasted end result may not justify the proposed investment. Closing Closing includes the formal acceptance of the project and the ending thereof. Administrative activities include the archiving of the files and documenting lessons learned. Closing phase consist of two parts: • •

Close project: to finalize all activities across all of the process groups to formally close the project or a project phase Contract closure: necessary for completing and settling each contract, including the resolution of any open items, and closing each contract applicable to the project or a project phase.